Amazon searches have moved beyond basic product queries to involve more research, said Yashayeva, and this especially applies to new ingredients in supplements and skincare that the consumer is trying to make sense of in their routine. NAD+, ashwagandha, and collagen are all popular search terms in the space, and the consumer spends roughly 14 days researching a product or ingredient before purchasing. According to Front Row research, only 10% of Amazon searches are branded, meaning customers searching for the product they want, without knowing who exactly they want it from.
Knowing this, brands should be investing more in content and education where people are searching — often Amazon — so that when the time comes to make a purchase, the customer feels empowered to do so, with the brand’s information matching their own research. Each touchpoint in the 14-day consumer journey — from ChatGPT searches and product review scans, to conversations with friends and deep dives on social media — are part of what Yashayeva referred to as connected commerce. From Dwyer’s point of view, a hands-on approach across these touchpoints is key to building brand trust today.
Wellness tourism: The new luxury excursion
Research shows that in the past several years, particularly during the luxury slowdown, luxury consumers have shifted spend toward wellness and travel, often combining the two. With this in mind, we took a deep dive into the world of wellness tourism to understand what customers want from these experiences and what brands should know about the destinations, treatments, and more taking place behind the closed doors of the world’s most exclusive mindfulness trips and resorts.
For this discussion, Dr. Poonam Desai, founder of Her Longevity; Kristina Romanova, CEO of Aman Essentials; Lauren Pronger, founder and president of Well Inspired Travels; and Mark Rivers, CEO of Canyon Ranch, joined Hilary to speak about the opportunities in wellness travel. “The average consumer is so focused on their wealth, which is now their health,” said Dr. Desai, whose firm connects clients to medical facilities all over the world. Pronger, who launched her own wellness travel agency in 2017, said clients are focusing more on how they feel, both during and after a trip. Canyon Ranch, a wellness resort founded in 1979, has gone deeper on experiences as demand continues to grow, “especially at the higher end consumer strata”, said Rivers, describing a customer that’s more educated and discerning than in years past.
